Sidney Champion and Danny Mastermaker appeared in the finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour for the first time on the weekend of December 11-12. Champion went two for three against Mastermaker to win his first GSBT tour stop. The $1,500-added event, sponsored by Nick Varner Cues and Case, and Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, drew 37 entrants to Green Top Billiards in Rocky Mount, NC.
They met first in the hot seat match. Champion had sent Tony Morrison to the one-loss side 9-6, as Mastermaker was busy sending Sam Monday over in a 9-9 victory (Monday needing to reach 11). Champion prevailed 9-5 in the battle for the hot seat, and waited for Mastermaker's return.
On the one-loss side, Morrison picked up Mike Fuller, who'd defeated his own father, Peaches Fuller, 11-1, as well as Younger Chapman 11-4. Waiting for Monday was David Trest, who'd won the event one week before. Trest had gotten by Vernon Rogers 9-3 and shutout Scott Howard to reach Monday. Identical 11-6 victories – Fuller over Morrison, Monday over Trest – set Fuller and Monday against each other in the quarterfinals. Monday dropped Fuller into fourth place 11-7, and faced Mastermaker for the second time, in the semifinals. The results were precisely the same; with Monday needing to reach 11, Mastermaker won again 9-9.
Mastermaker took that momentum with him into the opening set of the true double elimination final, winning it 9-6, and bringing the weekend down to a single race to 9. Champion picked up his pace in the second set, allowing Mastermaker only two racks on his way to his first-ever win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.
